Builders' Forum Archives

Re: Marine window

Posted by Charlie on Apr 25, 2005

The problem is a lot more than worrying about leakage. It's whether cutting a hole in the bottom will weaken the boat. The window you install will keep the water out but it won't serve the same structural purpose as the piece you cut out. In a conventional wooden hull you can easily install additional bracing to beef up around the window. But a S&G has only thin plywood. On a conventional kayak the the cockpit rim does more than give you a place to install a skirt. The rim is also a reinforcment that is necessary because cutting the cockpit hole introduces a weak spot in the hull. Personally, I think the stresses on a S&G are such that cutting into the bottom is not a good idea. Let the kids look over the side. Charlie